Luke 14 tells the story of Jesus speaking to the huge crowds that had jumped on the bandwagon and started following Him. But what He says to them, and to us, is not what we might expect. If we are truly saved, if we are to count ourselves among His disciples, we must be prepared to suffer, to say goodbye to our old lives, to make many sacrifices. Yes, following Jesus does come at a cost, but when we're faced with the cost of rejecting Him, the answer becomes crystal clear. It's a sobering message, but so important for the Christian life.
Severe consequences resulted when God's people wandered away in disobedience. In today's text we see that compromise ultimately led to disaster for the Israelites...